Kiel students: With a balloon to the altitude record over 40 kilometers!

Kiel students: With a balloon to the altitude record over 40 kilometers!

15 students from the Hans-Geiger-Gymnasium in Kiel have undertaken an exciting undertaking. Their project, called “Sky High,” aims to surpass the altitude record set by extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from an impressive 39,045 meters in 2012. The idea for this ambitious project came from Nicolas Fleischmann, a former teacher at the school. Together with their current teacher Heiko Balzerek, the group organized the entire project process - except for the application for the flight permit, which was carried out externally.

The team has creatively divided itself into different areas: “Science”, “Flight Control” and “Media”. This division allows the students to use their strengths in a targeted manner - be it in building the probe, checking the technology or calculating the flight route. The project is financially supported by the German Physical Society (DPG) and the support association of the Hans-Geiger-Gymnasium.

A special kind of high flight

A latex balloon will be used for the ascent, which, according to the team's calculations, will rise into the sky for around two hours and burst at an altitude of around 40 kilometers. The Styrofoam instrument housing is designed to return safely to Earth via a parachute. What's particularly exciting is that, apart from two boys, the team consists mostly of young women. They want to set an example and break with prejudices in the natural sciences.

But whether the altitude record was actually achieved remains uncertain for the time being. Unfortunately, a GPS tracker used to track the location did not provide any coordinates. The team hopes that the Styrofoam box, which according to their calculations should end up near Kaltenkirchen, will be returned by honest finders.

Science in focus

In order to further establish such projects in the future, interdisciplinary work is important. The Stratosphere Project is an excellent example of how students can develop theoretical principles and put them into practice by developing solutions to challenges in the stratosphere. After the flight, participants have the opportunity to analyze the data collected and present their results. This not only helps promote scientific skills, but also inspires young researchers - an assessment that Sebastian Thiele from Ceciliengymnasium Bielefeld also shares.

Such projects give students a tangible goal and show how exciting science can be. Maria Bräuer from the BSZ Agriculture and Nutrition describes the joy of her own pictures from the stratosphere and the value of the support from specialists and funding institutions. Teamwork and careful planning are also aspects that are not neglected in such projects - after all, it is a challenge to successfully launch and control a weather balloon.

We will be curious to see whether the brave students of the Hans-Geiger-Gymnasium can actually set a new record or whether their journey of discovery will at least go down in the history books of educational projects. One thing is certain: interest in science and technology is very popular, and projects like this will help the next generation of researchers perhaps soon reach new heights.

For further information on similar projects and current developments, those interested can read the detailed reports from kn-online.de, bbc.co.uk and stratoflights.com visit.